By Obinna Uballa
Iran’s newly appointed supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was reportedly injured during the ongoing conflict but remains capable of carrying out his duties, an Iranian confirmed to Reuters news agency on Wednesday.
The official did not disclose when or how the injury occurred and offered no explanation for the new leader’s absence from public view since his reported appointment, raising concerns about his state of health.
The Jerusalem Post in a report quoted another source familiar with the situation to have said that although Mojtaba was wounded during the war, assessments indicate that he is still able to manage state affairs and perform his responsibilities as Iran’s leader.
Earlier, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (Iranian state television) reported on Monday that Mojtaba had been injured. However, the broadcast did not provide details about the circumstances surrounding the injury, its severity, or when it occurred.
The report also did not indicate whether the injury has affected his day-to-day leadership activities.
Despite statements from officials suggesting he remains in charge, no photographs or video footage of Mojtaba have been released since news of his appointment emerged, prompting speculation among analysts and critics of the Iranian government.
Opposition figures have questioned the lack of public appearances, suggesting it raises doubts about who is currently directing the country’s leadership during the ongoing crisis.
Some critics claim that another senior figure within the Iranian establishment may be exercising real authority behind the scenes, while Mojtaba serves largely as a symbolic or representative head of state.
Mojtaba is the son of Iran’s longtime supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, and has long been regarded as a powerful but largely behind-the-scenes figure within Iran’s political system.
Although he held no formal government office for many years, analysts have widely believed that he wielded significant influence within the country’s political and security establishment, particularly through his close ties to key institutions of power.
